Union Minister questions Left's opposition to 'The Kerala Story' telecast on DD

Union Minister V Muraleedharan raised questions on Friday regarding the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) stance on freedom of expression, particularly in light of their opposition to Doordarshan's (DD) decision to air “The Kerala Story.” The public broadcaster is scheduled to telecast the film today. 

Asserting the constitutional right to freedom of expression, Muraleedharan questioned “the Constitution gives the right to expression. Left has always been saying that they support freedom of expression. Then why should they be worried when such movies are being aired?”

“The Kerala Story is a film which was given permission by the Censor board. It is a piece of art, and artistic experience is there in the movie,” the BJP leader added.

Earlier, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had urged DD to refrain from airing the film, starring Adah Sharma and directed by Sudipto Sen, citing potential exacerbation of communal tensions amidst the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

In a parallel stance, the Congress-led opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) also voiced its objections to the telecast, labeling the film as a propaganda piece filled with false promises. Congress leader VD Satheesan, the state's top opposition figure, penned a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), appealing for intervention to direct DD to withdraw its decision.